paste or pad

I need to re-attach the heatsink to my processor, should I use a thermal pad
or paste? What are the pros / cons?

"Max Coppin" wrote in message
news:0uBkc.449$Af6.97@newsfe1-win...
I need to re-attach the heatsink to my processor, should I use a thermal
pad
or paste? What are the pros / cons?

paste period end of discussion. pads are only good for... well, never
mind... ;-) YMMV

Max Coppin wrote:

I need to re-attach the heatsink to my processor, should I use a thermal
pad
or paste? What are the pros / cons?


Paste runs cooler, pads are easy for a dumbass to install i.e. stick one to
the bottom of the supplied HS and the end user can't forget to install it.
--

Stacey

Stacey wrote:

Max Coppin wrote:


I need to re-attach the heatsink to my processor, should I use a thermal
pad
or paste? What are the pros / cons?



Paste runs cooler, pads are easy for a dumbass to install i.e. stick one to
the bottom of the supplied HS and the end user can't forget to install it.

It's also less messy, more rugged, reliably repeatable, and readily machine
applied in mass production.

Mention using thermal compound in most modern assembly facilities and
you're likely to be run out of the place on a rail.

"David Maynard" wrote in message
...
Stacey wrote:

Max Coppin wrote:


I need to re-attach the heatsink to my processor, should I use a thermal
pad
or paste? What are the pros / cons?



Paste runs cooler, pads are easy for a dumbass to install i.e. stick one
to
the bottom of the supplied HS and the end user can't forget to install
it.

It's also less messy, more rugged, reliably repeatable, and readily
machine
applied in mass production.

Mention using thermal compound in most modern assembly facilities and
you're likely to be run out of the place on a rail.


Right pads lend themselves nicely to mass production. (more rugged? i've
never been able to break that paste!)
But is it better for the purpose of heat transmission?

snoopy wrote:

"David Maynard" wrote in message
...

Stacey wrote:


Max Coppin wrote:



I need to re-attach the heatsink to my processor, should I use a thermal
pad
or paste? What are the pros / cons?



Paste runs cooler, pads are easy for a dumbass to install i.e. stick one

to

the bottom of the supplied HS and the end user can't forget to install

it.

It's also less messy, more rugged, reliably repeatable, and readily

machine

applied in mass production.

Mention using thermal compound in most modern assembly facilities and
you're likely to be run out of the place on a rail.



Right pads lend themselves nicely to mass production.
(more rugged? i've
never been able to break that paste!)

To 'break' it is to do something that causes it to not serve the purpose
and thermal compound that gets smeared off during handling, as one example,
or wasn't applied properly in the first place, doesn't do its job. It's
function is 'broke'.

But is it better for the purpose of heat transmission?

Depends on how you define 'better'. If you mean what is the best that can
be achieved under ideal conditions, and ignoring long term effects, then
thermal compound is probably 'better'. If you mean being able to count on
all of the applications, and the devices it's applied to, working properly
without costly failures/rework then a pad is better.

But is it better for the purpose of heat transmission?

At 40C the pad turns to paste, so it is a non issue. 99% of all the
talk about paste being better is just hype. The best improvement I've
ever seen using paste over a pad is 2C. Hardly even worth the effort.
BTW a pad has never shorted out a CPU but paste does all the time.
That's why AMD doesn't want anyone using paste and if they find out
you did your 3 year warrany is void.

On Sat, 01 May 2004 09:05:24 GMT, Andrew J
wrote:



But is it better for the purpose of heat transmission?

At 40C the pad turns to paste, so it is a non issue. 99% of all the
talk about paste being better is just hype. The best improvement I've
ever seen using paste over a pad is 2C. Hardly even worth the effort.
BTW a pad has never shorted out a CPU but paste does all the time.
That's why AMD doesn't want anyone using paste and if they find out
you did your 3 year warrany is void.


arctic silver ceramique. not conductive. not capacitive.

Andrew J wrote:



But is it better for the purpose of heat transmission?

At 40C the pad turns to paste, so it is a non issue.

Except it's thicker, adds another layer between the CPU and heat sink.

99% of all the
talk about paste being better is just hype. The best improvement I've
ever seen using paste over a pad is 2C.

I've seen 6-8C

Hardly even worth the effort.
BTW a pad has never shorted out a CPU but paste does all the time.


?? Normal silcone HSG isn't conductive so that would be pretty tough!
--

Stacey

In article , David Maynard
wrote:

Stacey wrote:

Max Coppin wrote:


I need to re-attach the heatsink to my processor, should I use a thermal
pad
or paste? What are the pros / cons?



Paste runs cooler, pads are easy for a dumbass to install i.e. stick one to
the bottom of the supplied HS and the end user can't forget to install it.

It's also less messy, more rugged, reliably repeatable, and readily machine
applied in mass production.

Mention using thermal compound in most modern assembly facilities and
you're likely to be run out of the place on a rail.

That is because engineers in mass production situations, want
what they hope will be a zero maintenance solution. Paste/grease
needs to be reapplied regularly, any time a rising CPU temp suggests
the paste/grease is no longer filling the gap between CPU and HSF.
Thermal "pumping" or drying degrade just about any paste/grease,
so at some point, the CPU/HSF interface has to be redone.

There are some "gooey" solutions (look like silicon rubber) that
can be injected into a heatsink assembly, using an injection port
and an observation port, but the performance of that kind of solution
is worse than a pad.

For an Athlon, the combination of a bare die (i.e. limited contact
area) and high power dissipation, really limit what will work to
keep the processor cool. While AMD doesn't approve of AS3, home
builders find it works just fine. (You may want to read up on
AMD warranty issues if you use AS3 or something similar. If
returning a processor, make sure the processor is cleaned first.
Don't be sloppy with the paste/grease.)

Paul